The present application is a continuation in part of my co-pending application, Ser. No. 008,757, filed Jan. 30, 1987, now U.S. Pat. No. 4,794,908.
This invention relates to means for supplying heat to a space, such as a motor vehicle cab and simultaneously therewith to the engine means for running the motor vehicle. More particularly, the present invention relates to improved gas-fired heater means for supplying such heat.
In the wintertime, in areas where the temperature gets extremely cold, over-the-road truck drivers are faced with difficulty in starting the engines in their over-the-road vehicles. In many instances and particularly for diesel engines when the temperature gets to 20.degree. F. and lower, the viscosity of diesel fuels increases to the point they are difficult to pump and are therefore not easily ignited. In the prevention of problems with diesel engines, the trucks or tractors are either left running so the engine block stays heated or the vehicles are left in a garage or other environment where the vehicle is kept relatively warm.
In order to alleviate the problem of hard to start engines, particularly diesel-type engines, because of these relatively cold temperatures, I have found that a modification of the invention of my co-pending application provides a heating means to keep an engine block warm and simultaneously provide heat to the truck or tractor cab.
More specifically, the present invention provides an improved version of the gas-fired heater means shown and described in my earlier U.S. Pat. application Ser. No. 06/448,932, filed Dec. 13, 1982, now abandoned, which, in turn, were an improvement over the gas-fired heater means shown and described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,670,713, issued to R. W. Abbott on Feb. 8, 1972, and the liquid fuel heater means shown and described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,029,802, issued Apr. 17, 1962 to J. L. Breese.